Follow the Blind

Last updated

Follow the Blind
Blind guardian follow the blind.jpg
Studio album by
Released14 April 1989 [1]
RecordedJanuary–February 1989 at Karo Studios, Münster, West Germany
Genre
Length42:00
Label No Remorse, Virgin, Century Media
Producer Kalle Trapp
Blind Guardian chronology
Battalions of Fear
(1988)
Follow the Blind
(1989)
Tales from the Twilight World
(1990)
Singles from Follow the Blind
  1. "Banish from Sanctuary"
    Released: 1989
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Rock Hard (7.5/10) [4]
Metal1(7.5/10) [5]

Follow the Blind is the second studio album by the German power metal band Blind Guardian. It was released in 1989 and is more in the vein of speed metal, compared to the style that would later define the band's unique sound. Guitarist Marcus Siepen stated that they were "listening to a lot of thrash metal bands like Testament or Forbidden, and that's why Follow the Blind was a bit heavier". [6]

Contents

The album was remastered, remixed and re-released on 15 June 2007, with the whole second demo tape, Battalions of Fear , of the band (at the time called Lucifer's Heritage) as part of the bonus tracks. The album was again re-released as part of the A Traveler's Guide to Space and Time boxset with minor adjustments to the mixing and with new mastering. "Banish from Sanctuary" was released as a single to promote this album.

In 2017, Loudwire ranked Follow the Blind as the 12th-best power metal album of all time. [7]

Track listing

LP/vinyl edition
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Inquisition"N/A Hansi Kürsch, André Olbrich, Marcus Siepen, Thomas Stauch 0:40
2."Banish from Sanctuary"KürschKürsch, Olbrich, Siepen, Stauch5:27
3."Damned for All Time"KürschKürsch, Olbrich, Siepen, Stauch4:57
4."Follow the Blind"KürschKürsch, Olbrich, Siepen, Stauch7:10
5."Hall of the King"KürschKürsch, Olbrich, Siepen, Stauch4:16
6."Fast to Madness"KürschKürsch, Olbrich, Siepen, Stauch5:57
7."Beyond the Ice" (instrumental)N/AKürsch, Olbrich, Siepen, Stauch3:28
8."Valhalla" (feat. Kai Hansen)KürschKürsch, Olbrich, Siepen, Stauch4:56
9."Don't Break the Circle" (Demon cover, CD-only track)Mal Spooner, Dave HillSpooner, Hill4:28
10."Barbara Ann" (The Regents and Beach Boys cover, with a sample of Long Tall Sally by Little Richard at the end.) Fred Fassert Fred Fassert1:43
2007 re-release bonus tracks
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
11."Majesty" (demo version)KürschKürsch, Olbrich, Siepen, Stauch7:16
12."Trial by the Archon" (demo version)N/AKürsch, Olbrich, Siepen, Stauch3:53
13."Battalions of Fear" (demo version)KürschKürsch, Olbrich, Siepen, Stauch6:21
14."Run for the Night" (demo version)KürschKürsch, Olbrich, Siepen, Stauch4:29

Lyrical references

Personnel

Guest musicians

Production

Charts

Chart (2018)Peak
position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [8] 51

References

  1. "Blind Guardian - Follow the Blind". Encyclopaedia Metallum . Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  2. DiVita, Joe (5 July 2017). "Top 25 Power Metal Albums of All Time". Loudwire . Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  3. Anderson, Jason. Follow the Blind at AllMusic. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  4. Trojan, Frank. "Follow the Blind review". issue 32. Rock Hard . Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  5. "Blind Guardian - Follow the Blind - CD Review bei Metal1.info". Archived from the original on 16 October 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  6. "MetalKings.com interview with Markus". Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
  7. Divita, Joe (5 July 2017). "Top 25 Power Metal Albums of All Time". Loudwire . Townsquare Media . Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  8. "Offiziellecharts.de – Blind Guardian – Follow the Blind" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 21 September 2018.